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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. root — the cause
  3. cell — a phone
  4. root — of a word
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — in biology
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. race — a contest
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a line

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