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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pop — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kid — child
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — a division
  14. last — finally
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a word
  18. last — to go on
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pop — soda
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — final
  24. bark — to shout

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