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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 116 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: bank · racket · drill · root · land · deal · fall · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. fall — the season
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. land — ground
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — to handle
  15. land — a country
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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