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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 120 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: last · branch · root · rule · capital · kick · lash · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. last — final
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. root — of a word
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. last — to go on
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. root — the cause
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. kick — in football
  19. rule — government
  20. capital — money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — finally

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