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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — a match
  3. root — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — the cause
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. snap — to click
  19. race — the arms race
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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