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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — magic
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ball — a great time
  9. last — finally
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a line
  13. mark — a trace
  14. row — to paddle
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — letters
  22. last — final
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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