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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bank — for money
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — for digging
  10. root — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. shower — rain
  15. rest — a break
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — of a river
  19. root — the cause
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stem — to come from

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