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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kid — child
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. current — of water
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kid — to tease
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — magic
  19. march — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — the cause

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