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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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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: lean · pound · ruler · safe · kid · wound · face · track

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — to confront
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — a song
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. track — a path
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — thin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kid — to tease

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