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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — the season
  4. suit — to fit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — the sport
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. ground — the earth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ground — crushed
  14. face — to confront
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — a coil
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — a path
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — of water
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — in cards

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