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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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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: staff · wave · bank · craft · root · content · fan · cell

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. content — happy
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — the amount
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — a phone
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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