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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — part of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — in a race
  9. root — of a plant
  10. race — the arms race
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — clothes
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a word
  24. bay — a horse colour

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