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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · rush · bank · bass · root · fan · kick · file

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — hurry
  7. file — a document
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fall — the season
  11. kick — in football
  12. bass — low music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bank — of a river
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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