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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — a position
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mug — a face
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — a cup

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