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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 116 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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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: leaves · pop · wind · fall · root · bear · hide · bank

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. root — of a word

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