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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ball — a great time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. drill — army training
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. drill — the tool

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