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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — of ice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bound — certain
  24. pound — a weight

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