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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. root — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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