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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. root — the cause
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. toast — bread
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — a law
  16. race — a contest
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. race — humankind
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — a trail

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