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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 116 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — a contest
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. race — the arms race

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