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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: cabinet · straw · pound · row · mine · snap · season · temple

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — in sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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