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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — a contest
  4. current — of water
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — humankind
  7. fall — the season
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. last — finally
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — happening now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — final
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — electric
  18. root — the cause

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