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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 116 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cue — for pool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cue — a signal
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. spring — the season
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. file — a document
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. branch — of a tree

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