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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: mine · bank · stick · stand · foot · spell · shower · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mine — for digging
  12. root — the cause
  13. spell — magic
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — letters

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