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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.

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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. shower — to wash
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — of a word
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — a match
  18. race — the arms race
  19. shower — rain
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mate — a friend

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