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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 116 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: race · fine · root · key · season · fall · rash · wound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. race — a contest
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fall — the season
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. season — in sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — hasty
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — all right
  18. race — the arms race
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — the most important part

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