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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rest — a break
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a word
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — the cause

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