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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: wound · cabinet · bat · root · jam · race · rush · spell

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. race — a contest
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spell — magic
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. spell — letters
  14. root — of a word
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rush — to hurry

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