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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: temple · root · club · bank · hand · rush · sharp · bass

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hand — help
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — of a word
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — a group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bass — low music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the fish
  17. root — the cause
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bank — for money

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