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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.

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: ground · roll · straw · spell · lean · bank · present · root

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — of a word
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. present — a gift
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. spell — magic
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — a list
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — there
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spell — letters
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — the time now

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