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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 · spell · cabinet · swing · bound · net · rush

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. root — of a word
  3. spell — letters
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bound — certain
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. net — after costs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. swing — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rush — hurry

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