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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a ring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — soda

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