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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · hide · content · net · root · rash · bank · date

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — for digging
  8. content — the amount
  9. root — the cause
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — in sport
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — hasty
  23. root — of a word
  24. hide — to keep secret

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