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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. root — the cause
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a word
  8. court — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — of law
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — in a race
  24. branch — of a tree

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