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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 · present · plane · temple · lean · stick · mark · firm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — a company
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — there
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — thin
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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