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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · branch · straw · ball · land · stand · face · bank

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — a country
  14. branch — a division
  15. face — part of the head
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — to come down
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — to confront
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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