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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. root — of a word
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. roll — a cake
  11. net — for catching
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. roll — a list
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — the cause

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