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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · content · root · lie · land · last · lash · march

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. land — ground
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — of a plant
  12. march — music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. land — a country
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — to recline
  17. last — finally
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. march — the month
  21. last — final
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lie — an untruth

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