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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — of a river
  4. key — in music
  5. lean — thin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. root — of a word
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. branch — a division
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. root — of a plant

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