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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — of a word
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kid — child
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — in control
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — shares
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — rain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — a price

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