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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. last — final
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a word
  8. key — for a lock
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pass — a permit
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. land — ground
  18. key — in music
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — finally
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — of the year
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lie — an untruth

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