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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 116 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: craft · safe · object · pound · snap · lean · bore · stick

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to click
  3. object — to protest
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — boats
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — a weight

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