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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — of the year
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — to grow
  13. roll — a list
  14. root — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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