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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — the cause
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a word
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. firm — steady
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. root — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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