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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: fall · bank · mine · lash · spell · chip · root · race

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — a contest
  9. spell — letters
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fall — the season
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — magic
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chip — to eat
  24. race — humankind

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