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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — certain
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — the time now
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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