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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cell — a phone
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — humankind

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