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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: root · fall · season · foot · bank · leaves · ruler · stand

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. season — of the year
  3. root — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — the cause
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fall — the season

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