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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: root · branch · mug · wake · lie · pitch · net · face

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. root — the cause
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — to confront
  11. lie — to recline
  12. face — to point toward
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. net — for catching
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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