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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · firm · prune · root · bank · face · net · staff

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — of a word
  6. staff — a stick
  7. firm — a company
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — steady
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — the cause
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — of a plant
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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