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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. last — finally
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. sharp — clever
  24. last — final

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