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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. root — of a word
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — boats
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — a position
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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