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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — a box
  9. staff — a stick
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to click
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. court — of a king
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chest — of your body
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pound — to hit hard

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