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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. root — the cause
  3. pound — a weight
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. last — final
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chest — a box
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — a tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rash — hasty

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