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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.

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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · kick · bank · rest · root · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. 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. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. kick — in football
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — a contest
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. 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