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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — to go on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — to protest
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cap — a lid
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — an aim
  24. cap — of ice

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