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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — of a word
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — a division
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. row — to paddle
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a line
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pass — to succeed

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