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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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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 · roll · hide · file · rock · bank · band · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. roll — a cake
  3. band — a ring
  4. root — of a word
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. file — a document
  13. rock — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. roll — a list
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — there
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — the time now

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