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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — the cause
  11. board — to get on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to click
  14. capital — money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — a committee
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a word
  21. stem — to come from
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chest — a box

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