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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. bound — tied together
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — a weight
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — a division
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. scale — in music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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