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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: can · root · rush · bank · last · kid · hide · game

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — of a word
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — child
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. last — to go on
  19. kid — to tease
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. can — to be able to
  24. root — of a plant

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