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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: spring · straw · pitcher · can · pound · foot · temple · clip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. clip — to cut
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — for paper
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — a measure
  9. clip — a video
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spring — the season
  24. straw — dry grass

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