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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · lean · row · rest · dip · spring · branch · present

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. root — the cause
  3. lean — to bend
  4. row — a line
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — to paddle
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — a division
  12. spring — the season
  13. dip — to sink
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — there
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a plant
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. spring — of water

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