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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — for paper
  9. march — music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — the month
  14. race — a contest
  15. root — of a word
  16. march — the month
  17. clip — a video
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. drill — army training
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — with your hand

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