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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — a division
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — to trim
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a word
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. squash — to crush

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