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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. last — to go on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. root — of a word
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pass — a permit

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