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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a document
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. file — a line of people
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — a division
  18. file — a tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pop — music
  22. root — the cause
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bank — of a river

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