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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cell — a phone
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — a weight

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