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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — a weight
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. toast — bread
  18. squash — to crush
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — to handle

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