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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a music group
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. band — a ring
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. root — the cause
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wound — an injury

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