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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. last — finally
  4. snap — to click
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ground — the earth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. last — final
  14. root — of a word
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — moving air
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — a position

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