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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to bend
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. root — of a word
  15. last — to go on
  16. root — the cause
  17. last — final
  18. lean — thin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. board — to get on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. root — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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