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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 · branch · stick · race · clip · rush · straw · deal

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — to handle
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. race — the arms race
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. branch — a division
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. race — humankind
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. clip — a video
  23. root — the cause
  24. deal — a big deal

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