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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — in football
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bark — to shout

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