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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: last · rash · root · stick · pitcher · wake · cap · bay

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cap — of ice
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — a lid

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