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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. root — of a word
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — a contest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — thin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. race — humankind
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. safe — a strongbox

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