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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: bank · leaves · swing · season · rash · object · root · bat

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — to play on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rash — a series
  11. object — to protest
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. swing — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — an aim
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — a thing

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