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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — the fruit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — a division
  10. chest — a box
  11. present — there
  12. fall — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. present — the time now
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. root — the cause
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chest — of your body
  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