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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · rash · wave · plane · last · fall · branch · root

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. last — final
  3. root — of a word
  4. fall — the season
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a plant
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — of law
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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