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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. root — of a word
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month

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