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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — a stick
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — the cause
  18. last — final
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a word
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to bend

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