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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — the cause
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tube — a container
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. bank — of a river
  24. branch — a division

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