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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cold — not warm
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — child
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — a series
  16. rest — a break
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. root — the cause
  22. cold — an illness
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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