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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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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: arm · cold · fan · bank · ruler · wave · rock · root

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — of a plant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bank — for money
  18. rock — music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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