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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. current — happening now
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — help
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — of water
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. root — of a word
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — of a river

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