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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — to confront
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — to point toward
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. game — a match
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — to hurry

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