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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. deal — to handle
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mate — to breed
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rash — a series
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — a friend

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