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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: last · object · root · bank · jam · season · stand · rash

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — an aim
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — finally
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — final
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. season — of the year
  21. rash — a series
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  24. jam — in traffic

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