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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — to drill
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — the cause
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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