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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 · lash · root · lean · kid · bank · bear · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lean — thin
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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