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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rush — hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. race — humankind
  5. last — final
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — finally
  8. race — the arms race
  9. charge — a price
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. charge — in control
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — a contest
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — to go on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. charge — electricity

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