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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · lean · mate · land · hand · root · wave · court

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — a country
  11. hand — help
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — in cards
  17. root — the cause
  18. court — of law
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — of a king
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — with your hand

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