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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: lean · bank · last · root · staff · bay · ground · pass

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ground — a position
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — the cause
  17. last — final
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — thin

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