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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. object — a thing
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cell — a phone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bank — for money
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. swing — to play on
  20. root — of a word
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — the cause
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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