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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. last — to go on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. root — of a word
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — a position
  18. wax — to grow
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — in music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. calf — of the leg

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