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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — the cause
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. drill — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a word
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — child
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a signal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. kid — to tease
  24. last — final

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