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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — a match
  8. present — there
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — out of danger

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