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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: row · root · season · spring · saw · cue · rash · bank

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — a series
  5. row — a line
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spring — the season
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — of the year
  16. root — the cause
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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