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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 120 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: perch · wake · root · shower · trunk · bass · bank · file

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — of a plant
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — the fish
  12. shower — rain
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. root — of a word
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — the cause
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — to wash
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a tool

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