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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. season — in sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to click
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. last — final
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. root — of a plant
  20. season — of the year
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fork — in a road
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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