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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — all right
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — the cause

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