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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hand — in cards
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bass — low music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. root — the cause
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — the season

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