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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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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: root · suit · pass · toast · branch · rest · last · bat

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. root — of a word
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rest — a break
  5. toast — bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bat — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. branch — a division
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pass — a permit
  20. suit — to fit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. last — to go on

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