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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — a contest
  5. root — of a word
  6. rash — a series
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. race — humankind
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. calf — a young animal

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