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

Word bank: row · squash · pop · wind · rule · bank · vault · root

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — to paddle
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pop — to visit
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — government
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rule — a law
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pop — soda
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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