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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: toast · ground · temple · lean · suit · mine · object · pound

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pound — a weight
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — thin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. object — to protest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — a thing
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ground — crushed
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mine — for digging

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