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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — newspapers
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. coach — a trainer

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