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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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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — to come down
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — a country
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — ground
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. pound — a weight
  20. last — to go on
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. last — finally
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — final

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