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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kid — child
  3. root — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — of a word
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a face
  20. branch — a division
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — to rob

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