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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · toast · race · chair · root · lash

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. 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 — the cause
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. race — a contest
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. 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