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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: lash · root · bank · fall · rule · bulb · cabinet · season

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — of the year
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — of a word
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — the season
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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