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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — the cause
  8. rash — a series
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cap — a hat
  11. capital — a city
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. capital — money
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — of a river
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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