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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. root — of a word
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — help
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. land — a country
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. root — of a plant
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mate — a partner

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