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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — ground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — to protest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. charge — a price
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — in control
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — a thing
  21. root — of a word
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. last — finally
  24. pass — to spend time

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