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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. snap — to click
  5. rest — a break
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — finally
  8. fork — in a road
  9. last — final
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cell — in biology
  22. last — to go on
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. root — the cause

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