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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — a leader
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — of water
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. root — the cause
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spring — a coil

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