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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. root — the cause
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a document
  10. net — in sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a plant
  19. net — after costs
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. fall — the season
  24. file — a line of people

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