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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. press — to push
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — a straw man

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