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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cap — a lid
  3. root — of a word
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spell — magic
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — the cause
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to tire
  24. race — a contest

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