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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chest — a box
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. net — in sport
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. root — of a word
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. branch — a division
  23. net — after costs
  24. chest — of your body

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