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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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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: pit · root · tear · hand · bass · wind · hide · mug

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. bass — low music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. hand — help
  22. mug — a face
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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