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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — humankind
  7. ground — a position
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spring — of water
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kick — in football
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — a contest
  15. root — of a word
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — a coil
  18. root — the cause
  19. spring — the season
  20. bore — to tire
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ground — crushed

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