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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — to shout
  12. branch — a division
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — to visit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — soda
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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