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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. race — a contest
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — in control
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — help
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. race — humankind
  22. root — the cause
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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