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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: wake · tube · bark · bank · arm · root · track · roll

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bank — for money
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — of a river
  11. track — to keep track
  12. roll — a list
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tube — the underground
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wake — a trail

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