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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — the fish
  3. face — to confront
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — part of the head

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