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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.

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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: stand · snap · bank · root · chair · drill · rule · bass

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rule — a law
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bank — for money
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. rule — government
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — the cause
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. root — of a word

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