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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. root — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — the arms race
  8. last — final
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. firm — steady
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — a contest
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a kind of play

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