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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — of a plant

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