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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — a break
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — humankind
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — a contest
  9. root — the cause
  10. rush — hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a word
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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