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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — to bend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. race — humankind

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