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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — a division
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — to come from

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