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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — magic
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. rock — a stone
  19. last — final
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. branch — of a bank

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