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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 120 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: mark · root · deal · spell · can · bear · race · cold

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spell — magic
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — the cause
  11. race — a contest
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. root — of a word
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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