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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — humankind
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — the arms race
  13. root — the cause
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — in football
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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