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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: pass · wave · last · temple · pound · file · root · drill

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — the cause
  11. pound — a weight
  12. file — a line of people
  13. last — to go on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. root — of a word
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. file — a tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. file — a document
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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