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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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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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 — a contest
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. file — a tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — of a word
  8. present — there
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. rule — government
  13. file — a document
  14. root — of a plant
  15. race — humankind
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rule — a law
  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