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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cue — for pool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cue — a signal
  13. race — a contest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. row — a line
  22. rash — hasty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — the cause

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