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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. scale — in music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. race — the arms race
  16. track — a path
  17. root — of a word
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — the cause
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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