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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. root — of a word
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. perch — the fish
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — the cause
  22. pound — a weight
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — in cards

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