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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — the cause
  3. race — a contest
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — the arms race
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. race — humankind
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spell — magic
  18. root — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — of a word
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. deal — an agreement

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