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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. root — of a word
  8. craft — boats
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. game — wild animals
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. race — the arms race
  18. root — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — a match
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — on a finger

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