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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rash — a series
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — help
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — of a river
  19. net — for catching
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — all right
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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