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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 · race · object · fan · root · coach · spring · nail

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — the season
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. object — an aim
  12. spring — of water
  13. race — humankind
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — a contest

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