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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — child
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rash — a series
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. march — music
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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