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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — the cause
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. root — of a word
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bank — of a river
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fork — in a road

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