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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rock — music
  6. spell — letters
  7. root — of a word
  8. saw — the tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — the cause
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — the arms race

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