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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — there
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — for digging
  13. root — of a word
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — the time now
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wind — moving air

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