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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — a publisher
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. perch — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — the cause
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. root — of a plant

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