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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — shares
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — thin

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