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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — to bear
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — of a word
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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