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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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Word bank
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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. branch — a division

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