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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. root — of a plant
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — a law
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tube — a container
  14. toast — bread
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — government
  24. tube — the underground

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