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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — of a word
  18. bass — low music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — of a bank

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