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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: pound · bowl · can · temple · jam · toast · root · lie

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — to be able to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. root — the cause
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. toast — bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — of a word
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. jam — in traffic

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