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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — employees
  5. march — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. content — happy
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — soda
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. temple — a place of worship

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