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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hand — help
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — in music
  23. chest — a box
  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