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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kid — child
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. root — of a word
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — to tease
  14. root — of a plant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. nail — for a hammer

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