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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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