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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. firm — steady
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. firm — decided
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. face — to confront
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — finally
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. firm — a company
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — to drop

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