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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. board — to get on
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. last — final
  7. shower — rain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. root — the cause
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. last — finally
  18. root — of a word
  19. lean — thin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — to dunk

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