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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — a break
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — in golf
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spring — a coil
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — obliged
  23. branch — a division
  24. bound — certain

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