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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: present · root · current · toast · branch · shower · wake · chest

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. root — of a plant
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. present — a gift
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. root — of a word
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — a division
  15. chest — a box
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. present — there
  21. chest — of your body
  22. shower — rain
  23. present — the time now
  24. toast — bread

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