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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. race — the arms race
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. temple — side of the head
  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