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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — a partner
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — temperature

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