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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: object · straw · face · pound · file · lean · temple · content

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — happy
  6. pound — a weight
  7. object — an aim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to bend
  24. content — videos and posts

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