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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cold — not warm
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pound — for dogs

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