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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. branch — a division

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