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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a word
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. race — humankind
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. last — finally
  23. club — a group
  24. race — a contest

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