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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a ring
  18. root — the cause
  19. band — a music group
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. branch — a division

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