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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. branch — a division
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — of a word
  16. kick — in football
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. arm — part of the body
  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