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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tear — to rip
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — of water
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spring — the season
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. tear — from crying
  24. land — a country

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