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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rash — a series
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — a video
  6. root — the cause
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. capital — money
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a city
  24. cabinet — ministers

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