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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tear — to rip
  16. squash — to crush
  17. land — ground
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — from crying
  24. racket — for tennis

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