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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 · date · rest · last · bank · track · chair · dip

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — the cause
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — finally
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a word
  22. rest — a break
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. track — a path

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