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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. stem — to come from
  20. net — after costs
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — music
  24. root — the cause

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