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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — part of the head
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pop — soda
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — to confront
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — to visit

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