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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · temple · pound · wake · mine · deal

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mine — for digging
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hide — to keep secret

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