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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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 word
  3. board — to get on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. root — the cause
  11. firm — decided
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — finally
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — a practice
  17. firm — a company
  18. wax — to grow
  19. last — final
  20. mug — a cup
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — in the ear

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