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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — boats
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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