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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 124 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. root — of a plant
  7. season — in sport
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — the cause
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — a leader
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a word
  24. safe — a strongbox

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