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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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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: wave · leaves · date · toast · march · bore · root · last

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. root — the cause
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — the month
  16. root — of a word
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. last — final
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — finally

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