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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: swing · root · kick · bank · tear · cabinet · bat · land

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — a country
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a word
  24. bat — in an idiom

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