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

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — a contest
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to sink
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — final
  9. root — the cause
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pound — a weight
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a plant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. race — humankind
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. leaves — of a tree

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