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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 120 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: safe · bank · straw · rule · deal · shower · court · root

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — government
  4. court — of law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — rain
  9. court — for sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — of a king
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — a law
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — of a word

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