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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. last — final
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. last — to go on
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hand — help
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — finally
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kick — in football
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — to recline

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