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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — army training
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. root — of a plant
  15. object — to protest
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — an aim
  18. race — a contest
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — a thing
  23. clip — for paper
  24. craft — a skill

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