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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. race — a contest
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — a video
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. race — humankind
  9. craft — boats
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — for paper
  17. race — the arms race
  18. root — of a word
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. clip — to cut
  22. staff — a stick
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. present — there

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