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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a cup
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — for golf
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — to rob
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — the cause
  20. club — a group
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. bank — for money
  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