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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — for dancing
  9. object — to protest
  10. club — a group
  11. object — a thing
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. race — a contest
  18. pass — a permit
  19. club — for golf
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hand — part of the body

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