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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bound — certain
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — help
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. root — of a word
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. net — for catching

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