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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a plant
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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