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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: content · mine · root · bank · mate · bear · spell · sharp

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. content — happy
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bank — of a river
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a plant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spell — magic
  21. mate — a friend
  22. content — the amount
  23. mine — for digging
  24. sharp — with an edge

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