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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rash — a series
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fine — all right
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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