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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mug — to rob
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — to get on
  6. cold — an illness
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — a committee
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — music
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mug — a face

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