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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: cabinet · hand · sharp · track · temple · root · roll · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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