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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — to lash out

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