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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. spell — letters
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rest — a break
  16. roll — a list
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spell — a short time

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