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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rash — a series
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. press — a publisher
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. root — the cause
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. rest — a break
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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