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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — a container
  7. root — of a word
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — a division
  17. staff — a stick
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fall — to drop

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