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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. scale — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — an explosive

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