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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — final
  4. root — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. roll — a list
  8. last — to go on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tube — a container
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. present — a gift
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. root — the cause

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