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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — magic
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — in football
  14. ground — the earth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — a group
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. club — for golf

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