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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — the cause
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — final
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. root — of a word
  17. last — finally
  18. season — of the year
  19. last — to go on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. root — of a plant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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