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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — a weight
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. branch — a division
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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