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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — humankind
  6. rash — hasty
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. race — a contest
  10. root — of a word
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — the cause
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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