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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. race — a contest
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. race — the arms race
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. root — of a word
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — humankind
  22. toast — bread
  23. patient — a sick person
  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