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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. root — of a plant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rush — hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kid — child
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. root — of a word
  16. craft — a skill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear
  19. craft — boats
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — to go away

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