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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cold — not warm
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — for dancing
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — the cause
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. press — a publisher
  10. staff — a stick
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cold — an illness
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — of a word
  16. club — for golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — to push
  21. club — a group
  22. staff — employees
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. lash — to lash out

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