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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mug — a cup
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a plant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — a division
  21. rash — a series
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — with an edge

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