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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. root — the cause
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wind — moving air

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