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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 116 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: object · pop · root · bank · fall · cell · cap · safe

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — soda
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — to protest
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — an aim
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pop — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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