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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.

Words on the sheet
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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. snap — to click
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mouse — the animal

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