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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — a container
  4. kid — child
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — a break
  7. last — to go on
  8. root — of a word
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kid — to tease
  11. court — for sport
  12. root — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — boats
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — a skill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — of law

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