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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — the underground
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. roll — a list
  9. club — for dancing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for golf
  12. roll — a cake
  13. root — of a plant
  14. race — a contest
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — a group
  22. root — of a word
  23. tube — a container
  24. roll — on a roll

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