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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. drill — army training
  11. root — of a word
  12. rule — a law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. race — humankind
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — a contest
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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