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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. file — a document
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lie — to recline
  15. band — a ring
  16. hand — help
  17. band — a music group
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. root — of a word
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a rubber band

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