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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — a weight
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — final
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. last — finally
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. field — a subject
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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