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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: content · bore · face · snap · branch · rash · wake · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. content — happy
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. snap — to click
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. root — the cause
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — a division
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — the amount

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