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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. shower — to wash
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. root — of a plant
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — to push
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — the cause
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — a division
  24. shower — rain

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