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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — an aim
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cell — a phone
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. object — a thing
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. root — of a word
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — to protest
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spell — magic
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — the season
  24. spell — letters

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