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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — a tool
  13. roll — a cake
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. roll — a list
  20. root — of a word
  21. cue — for pool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cue — a signal
  24. root — the cause

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