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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. root — of a word
  6. present — a gift
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — there
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — in a road
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chest — a box
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. branch — of a tree

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