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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: branch · hand · root · wound · fan · ground · toast · chip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — a division
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — bread
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — help
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — the cause
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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