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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · object · sharp · saw · leaves · safe · kid · wound

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pound — a weight
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. sharp — clever
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — child
  22. object — an aim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com