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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — an aim
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — rain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — for dogs

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