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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. charge — electricity
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. charge — in control
  16. race — a contest
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — to tire
  22. race — humankind
  23. land — a country
  24. bore — to drill

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