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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. race — humankind
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — of a word
  8. race — a contest
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — for light

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