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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — a division
  11. root — the cause
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — in music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spring — the season
  16. kick — in football
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. root — of a word
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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