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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — music
  4. root — the cause
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. present — there
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — a stone
  11. present — the time now
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — of a river
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. present — a gift
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — for money

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