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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 116 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — the cause
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — to get on
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. prune — to trim

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