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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. kid — child
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. root — the cause
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. root — of a word

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