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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. race — the arms race
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — a contest
  14. lean — to bend
  15. scale — in music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — humankind
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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