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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — a stone
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — of ice

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