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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. march — the month

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