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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — in a road
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — a division
  24. fork — to eat with

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