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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. scale — size or range
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. land — a country
  24. root — of a plant

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