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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — a friend
  11. date — the fruit
  12. snap — to click
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. present — there
  15. last — finally
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. root — of a word
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — a gift
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — the cause
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. last — final

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