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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hand — help
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — the amount
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  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