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

Word bank: ground · branch · craft · degree · root · stick · tear · wave

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — from crying
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a plant
  16. degree — an amount
  17. craft — a skill
  18. root — of a word
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — of the sea

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