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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. race — a contest
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — magic
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — humankind
  12. hand — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. spell — letters
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. root — of a plant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. band — a rubber band

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