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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — to come from
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a word
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — to grow
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — low music
  13. root — the cause
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — letters
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the instrument

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