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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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 plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. root — of a word
  9. present — a gift
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — hurry
  14. court — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — the cause
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. court — of law
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bank — of a river

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