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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · pass · land · arm · pound · temple · field · mouse

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. land — ground
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — a weight
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — a permit
  23. land — a country
  24. rush — hurry

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