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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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468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — finally
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spell — a short time
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spell — letters
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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