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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — happy
  6. root — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — the cause
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — the animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — decided
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — humankind
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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