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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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 — on the skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rash — hasty
  5. last — final
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a plant
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. root — of a word
  17. last — finally
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a line of people
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  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