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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. last — final
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. suit — to fit
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cell — a phone
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pit — in a race

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