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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: rush · tear · straw · root · pit · plane · race · cell

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — a hole
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cell — a phone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cell — in biology
  20. tear — from crying
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — a contest
  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