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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — a safe
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. firm — decided
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. root — the cause
  10. firm — steady
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — in sport
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. root — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — of a word

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