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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — of a word
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — a division
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. mark — a grade

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