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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a music group
  6. root — of a plant
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — the cause
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — a division
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. can — to be able to

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