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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a word

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