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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.

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: chair · pitcher · kick · nail · roll · rush · bank · root

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — in football
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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