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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fall — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. lean — to bend

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