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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — humankind
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — in a road

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