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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — there
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bark — to shout
  15. shower — rain
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a plant
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cell — in biology
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — the time now
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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