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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: lash · cell · pit · race · cold · cue · kid · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. root — of a word
  9. cold — an illness
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kid — child
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — humankind
  17. cell — in biology
  18. race — a contest
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — a signal

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