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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — a break
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. last — to go on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pound — a weight
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. face — to confront
  15. last — final
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. march — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. last — finally
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. root — of a word
  24. face — part of the head

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