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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. face — part of the head
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. vault — a safe
  6. date — the fruit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. root — the cause
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. face — to confront
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spring — a coil
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — the tool

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