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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mug — to rob
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. lie — to recline
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mug — a face
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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