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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. last — to go on
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. firm — decided
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — a thing
  15. last — final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — finally
  20. object — an aim
  21. suit — clothes
  22. firm — steady
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — a company

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