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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — finally
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a word
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — help
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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