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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. last — final
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — a permit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hand — help
  15. snap — to click
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a leader

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