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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 116 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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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 · craft · branch · press · kid · ruler · season · stick

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — in sport
  16. kid — to tease
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. root — the cause
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — boats
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. branch — of a tree

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