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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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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: land · bore · root · band · bass · bay · face · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — to confront
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bore — to tire
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — low music
  15. band — a ring
  16. face — to point toward
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. band — a music group
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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