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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. last — finally
  3. pound — a weight
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — to go on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. last — final
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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