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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. last — finally
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cold — an illness
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. last — final
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — the cause
  19. cold — not warm
  20. last — to go on
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. toast — bread

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