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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — letters
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — the cause
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. present — the time now
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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