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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — there
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — the time now
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — a grade
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. root — the cause
  19. object — to protest
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. foot — a measure
  24. present — a gift

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