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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.

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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wound — an injury
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — rain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. root — of a word
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — humankind
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — the cause

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