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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kid — child
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a document
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. root — the cause
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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