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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bore — to drill
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — a division
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — to tire
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stem — a stem cell

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