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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — a permit
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a match
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — of a word
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hand — help
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — to pay attention

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