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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a song
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. key — in music
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. charge — electricity
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — finally
  13. key — for a lock
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tear — from crying

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