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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chair — a leader
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. staff — employees
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. staff — employees
  23. fine — all right
  24. pound — to hit hard

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