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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 116 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: mine · snap · root · branch · cabinet · lash · fork · bowl

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — the cause
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a word
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — an eyelash

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