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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — a division
  10. roll — a cake
  11. clip — a video
  12. lean — thin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lean — to bend
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — the cause
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. roll — a list
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — to rest against

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