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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — of a plant
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. root — of a word
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — to go on
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — a division
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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