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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — of a word
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — the cause
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rush — a thrill

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