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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. last — to go on
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fine — all right
  11. last — final
  12. root — the cause
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — finally
  20. lean — thin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. root — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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