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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 120 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: pound · staff · straw · track · mug · fine · kid · temple

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pound — a weight
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fine — all right
  7. mug — a cup
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. track — to keep track
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — high quality
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. kid — child
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mug — a face

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