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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. root — of a word
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. row — a line
  9. court — for sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. court — of law
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — in cards

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