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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. race — humankind
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. face — to confront
  17. squash — to crush
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — the sport
  22. race — a contest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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