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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. object — to protest
  5. root — the cause
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. branch — a division
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. object — a thing
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. root — of a plant

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