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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. last — to go on
  2. rash — a series
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rash — hasty
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — a lid
  13. key — in music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to drill
  21. root — of a word
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. last — finally
  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