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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. root — the cause
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — a division
  4. rock — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — thin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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