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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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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: shower · bank · calf · root · stand · rest · spell · arm

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — the cause
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. shower — to wash
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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