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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: rule · pound · lean · mate · dip · temple · scale · race

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — to breed
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. scale — in music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — thin
  21. rule — government
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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