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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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