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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — in music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. face — to confront
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — part of the head
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. file — a document
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stem — a stem cell

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