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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — to rob
  3. root — the cause
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — a short time
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — a face
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — letters
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. cap — a hat

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