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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: temple · pound · wound · mug · bear · snap · lie · suit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — clothes
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mug — a face
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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