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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 · stick · pass · pop · root · lie · band · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. root — of a word
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — soda
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. band — a music group
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pop — to visit
  21. band — a ring
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — to succeed

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