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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: bay · court · race · snap · root · roll · wind · hide

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — a cake
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. roll — a list
  9. snap — to click
  10. court — of a king
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — of a word
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — for sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. race — the arms race
  19. root — of a plant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wind — moving air

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