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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — of a river
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — to come from
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — the cause
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wake — a trail
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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