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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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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: bank · calf · bark · leaves · cabinet · root · band · mark

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — of a word
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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