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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — after costs
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — the season
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — a break
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — for catching
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — for dogs

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