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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · season · row · calf · foot · root · branch · key

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. root — the cause
  3. drill — army training
  4. row — to paddle
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — of a word
  10. drill — a practice
  11. key — for a lock
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. foot — a measure
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. row — a line
  24. key — in music

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