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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. race — a contest
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — the cause
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. race — the arms race
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — of a word
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. root — of a plant

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