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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — the sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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