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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — a division
  5. chest — a box
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — of water
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. root — of a word
  22. court — of law
  23. spell — a short time
  24. court — of a king

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