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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: bank · ruler · bat · face · hide · root · stem · bark

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bank — of a river
  14. root — the cause
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. face — to confront
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. root — of a plant

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