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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — of a word
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. last — to go on
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — finally
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — bread
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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