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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. last — to go on
  3. cold — an illness
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. last — final
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — the cause
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cold — not warm
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. root — of a word

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