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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · last · foot · rule · present · dip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. dip — to sink
  3. present — there
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. last — final
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rule — government
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pound — a weight
  10. last — to go on
  11. present — the time now
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. last — finally
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rule — a law
  18. pound — to hit hard

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