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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — the cause
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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