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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. last — to go on
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. plane — a tool
  13. file — a tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — final
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. root — of a word
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a round shape

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