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

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — of a word
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — the cause
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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