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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bank — of a river
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. rock — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. root — of a word
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a ring

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