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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. root — of a plant
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — the arms race
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. staff — a stick
  8. race — humankind
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — the cause
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. race — a contest
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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