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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. root — the cause
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — wild animals
  9. race — a contest
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. craft — a skill
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a plant
  17. face — to confront
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — a match
  24. squash — the sport

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