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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. branch — a division
  5. cell — a phone
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. root — of a word
  24. hide — to keep secret

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