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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: firm · spell · root · bear · snap · racket · tube · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. spell — letters
  3. last — finally
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — decided
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to click
  9. last — to go on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. root — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — the underground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. firm — steady

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