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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mate — to breed
  14. degree — temperature
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a plant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mate — a friend
  23. root — of a word
  24. bark — 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