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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: hand · face · root · pitcher · kick · staff · wave · bank

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. root — of a word
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — in cards
  22. face — to confront
  23. hand — help
  24. pitcher — a jug

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