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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. snap — to click
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wake — a trail
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — child
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — of a word
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — on the skin

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