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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mug — a face
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a document
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — for a lock
  19. season — in sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. can — to be able to
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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