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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — a break
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a word
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — the cause
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — what's left

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