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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chest — a box
  4. row — to paddle
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — crushed
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. present — the time now
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — there
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — a position
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. branch — a division
  23. root — the cause
  24. present — a gift

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