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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: branch · last · mark · face · bank · bay · leaves · root

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. root — of a plant
  3. branch — a division
  4. bank — of a river
  5. last — to go on
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — of a word
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — part of the head
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a horse colour

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