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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.

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 was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — humankind
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — to tease
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — all right
  18. season — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — there
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kid — child
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — the time now

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