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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: bay · cue · bark · kid · current · snap · race · root

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. race — the arms race
  5. root — of a word
  6. cue — for pool
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kid — child
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — happening now
  16. race — a contest
  17. root — the cause
  18. snap — to click
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cue — a signal
  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