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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. race — humankind
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. root — the cause
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rash — a series
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — for catching
  24. root — of a word

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