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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: band · hide · race · bear · root · cold · stand · kick

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. race — humankind
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. band — a ring
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — a contest
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stand — to bear
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — in football
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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