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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: land · rock · lean · spell · toast · net · temple · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — for catching
  10. lean — thin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. spell — letters
  13. lean — to bend
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. toast — bread
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — magic
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rock — music
  24. pound — a weight

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