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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — to go on
  3. root — of a word
  4. last — final
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — decided
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. game — a match
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. root — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. firm — steady
  24. spell — letters

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