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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 116 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 · rule · stand · bore · root · hand · spring · straw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — the cause
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — the season
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rule — a law
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — of a word
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. spring — a coil
  22. root — of a plant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. straw — dry grass

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