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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. 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. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — a country
  7. file — a document
  8. land — ground
  9. bank — for money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tear — to rip
  20. file — a tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. land — to come down
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. 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