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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 116 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. lean — thin
  5. pound — a weight
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — the cause
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. last — finally
  15. march — music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — certain
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bound — obliged
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — tied together

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