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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. firm — decided
  6. last — to go on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — final
  9. present — a gift
  10. firm — steady
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. present — the time now
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — there
  15. firm — a company
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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