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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — of a word
  7. last — final
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. content — the amount
  13. root — the cause
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wake — a trail
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — happy
  24. wake — before a funeral

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