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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: race · root · racket · hide · ruler · dip · perch · last

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — to sink
  6. last — to go on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. race — a contest
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — finally
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. last — final
  22. root — of a word
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — for a bird

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