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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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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. object — to protest
  3. lie — to recline
  4. last — finally
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitch — completely
  18. root — of a word
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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