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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. snap — to click
  11. root — the cause
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. face — to point toward
  17. season — in sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — to breed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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