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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rash — a series
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — to sink
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — a contest
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — of a word
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — to grow

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