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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — of a word
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — thin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. drill — army training
  14. root — the cause
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. last — finally
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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