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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 120 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. present — a gift
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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