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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — to bend
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fine — all right
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — a division
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — of a tree

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