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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. snap — to click
  6. last — final
  7. root — of a word
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — the cause
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — of a plant
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. last — finally
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — with a leg

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