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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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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: mark · temple · degree · bear · mine · pound · toast · straw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. degree — an amount
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. toast — bread
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. temple — side of the head

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