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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: leaves · root · cue · ball · race · kid · object · shower

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kid — child
  4. race — a contest
  5. root — of a word
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. root — the cause
  15. race — humankind
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — to protest
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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