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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. root — of a word
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bore — to drill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. root — of a plant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. cap — a hat
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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