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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. root — the cause
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. race — humankind
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rule — government
  11. clip — to cut
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — for paper
  14. race — a contest
  15. rule — a law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. clip — a video
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

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