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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. race — humankind
  3. branch — a division
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — to recline
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — the amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — shares
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. race — the arms race
  24. root — of a word

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