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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: current · safe · root · cold · spell · bank · plane · band

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — of a word
  3. current — of water
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — of a river
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. root — of a plant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a music group
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — the cause
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. band — a ring

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