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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. root — the cause
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a great time
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. shower — rain
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. root — of a word
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. race — the arms race

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