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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. kid — to tease
  5. root — of a word
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — humankind
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hand — help
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — child
  20. root — the cause
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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