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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. object — to protest
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. row — a line
  6. object — an aim
  7. race — humankind
  8. bore — to drill
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — the cause
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — of a word
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fall — the season
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wound — an injury

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