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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: kick · present · bank · stem · root · land · fine · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. land — a country
  18. present — there
  19. fine — all right
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. land — to come down
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. kick — in football

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