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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — the fish
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — army training
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mate — to breed
  19. root — of a word
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. branch — of a bank

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