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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. root — the cause
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — of a word
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — a break
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — a trainer

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