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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. root — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. race — a contest
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. roll — a list
  13. spell — letters
  14. roll — a cake
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to click
  18. tear — to rip
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — humankind
  22. spell — magic
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. tear — from crying

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