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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.

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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: game · bat · root · bank · rush · present · lean · branch

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — a match
  3. root — of a word
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — the time now
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — a gift
  19. root — the cause
  20. bat — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — there

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