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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mark — a trace
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mark — a grade
  24. root — of a word

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