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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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468
Word bank
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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — to sink
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lean — thin

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