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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — high quality
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. game — a match
  23. lean — thin
  24. cold — an illness

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