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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — of a word
  6. cell — a phone
  7. land — a country
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. root — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — the arms race
  13. band — a music group
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — to come down
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. race — a contest
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — humankind

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