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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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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 · leaves · mouse · nail · mate · fall · pound · root

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — of a river
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fall — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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