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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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 — a division
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — ground
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — a position
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — of a plant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — to tire
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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