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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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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: rock · root · clip · fine · nail · wake · bound · race

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — for paper
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — obliged
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — a video
  21. race — humankind
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. race — the arms race
  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