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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rest — what's left
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. clip — for paper
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. root — of a word
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — to shout
  24. clip — a video

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