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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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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: arm · root · toast · leaves · fine · spell · race · nail

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fine — all right
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spell — a short time
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fine — high quality
  22. root — of a word
  23. toast — bread
  24. root — the cause

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