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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. last — final
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. last — to go on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. last — finally
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — a position
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. root — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. temple — a place of worship

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