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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: game · bank · trunk · lash · row · root · wind · saw

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — a match
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. row — to paddle
  9. root — the cause
  10. row — a line
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a quarrel

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