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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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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: scale · nail · fall · cell · pound · ground · hide · temple

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fall — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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