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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: root · club · row · leaves · lie · ball · race · spell

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spell — letters
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — the arms race
  14. root — the cause
  15. race — humankind
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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