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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — a gift
  8. date — the fruit
  9. root — the cause
  10. present — the time now
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a word
  15. mark — a trace
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. present — there
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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