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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. race — the arms race
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. race — a contest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. track — to keep track
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. race — humankind
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  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