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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: season · rush · bear · roll · branch · mate · root · plane

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mate — a partner
  6. roll — a list
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — a division
  10. season — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. roll — a cake
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — a tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — a friend
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — of a word

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