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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 120 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: rest · sharp · degree · race · lean · root · bore · bank

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. race — humankind
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lean — to bend
  8. root — the cause
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — to tire
  13. race — a contest
  14. lean — thin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — of a word
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bank — for money

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