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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. date — the fruit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — help
  10. fine — all right
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a hint
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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