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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: game · row · rash · arm · bound · wind · bank · root

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — tied together
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a word
  14. game — a match
  15. bound — obliged
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bank — of a river
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bank — for money

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