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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a line of people
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — to get on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fall — the season
  18. file — a document
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  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