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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: track · face · jam · leaves · fall · pound · rash · temple

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — a song
  7. face — to confront
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — a series
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. face — part of the head
  12. track — to keep track
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pound — a weight
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to point toward
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fall — to drop

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