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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 the members were all out of tune.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — a contest
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a word
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — humankind
  24. can — a tin

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