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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. last — finally
  4. snap — to click
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a word
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — the cause
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — to rest against

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