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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — the cause
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. race — humankind
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. race — the arms race

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