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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. object — to protest
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. tube — a container
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — to wash
  14. object — a thing
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — rain
  24. ruler — for measuring

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