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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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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: bay · temple · safe · pound · object · wind · nail · mug

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — a face
  3. pound — a weight
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. object — to protest
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — to rob
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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