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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. root — the cause
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. root — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. band — a ring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. band — a music group
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. field — farmland
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. present — there
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rest — what's left

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