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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — final
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. root — the cause
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — crushed
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. face — to point toward
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bank — for money

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