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

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — to protest
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. root — the cause
  7. bank — for money
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — an aim
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fall — the season
  14. chair — a leader
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

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