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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. root — of a word
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — rain
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — thin
  23. bank — of a river
  24. racket — a loud noise

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