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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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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 · mate · last · dip · lean · mark · root · stand

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — to sink
  5. root — the cause
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — to go on
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — of a word
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — thin

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