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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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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 · content · bank · cell · fall · jam · arm · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bank — of a river
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — a gift
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — the time now
  14. content — happy
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. root — of a word
  19. cell — a phone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — the season
  22. cell — in biology
  23. content — the amount
  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