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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 116 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: bank · bat · safe · chair · calf · rash · mark · root

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rash — a series
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. root — the cause
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rash — hasty

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