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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cold — not warm
  5. root — the cause
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. root — of a word
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. root — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — for a lock

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