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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.

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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. can — to be able to
  15. root — the cause
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — humankind
  19. kid — to tease
  20. root — of a word
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — child

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