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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — magic
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a song
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cue — a signal
  24. track — to keep track

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