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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a document
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — the fish

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