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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chair — a leader
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. shower — rain
  21. ground — a position
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — a professorship

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