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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. root — of a plant
  3. land — to come down
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. land — a country
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — the cause

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