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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — the cause
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. club — for golf
  6. race — the arms race
  7. toast — bread
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — for dancing
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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