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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mark — a trace
  3. root — the cause
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — final
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — finally
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. last — to go on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — with your hand
  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