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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.

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: branch · fine · root · shower · safe · last · present · march

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — there
  3. last — finally
  4. fine — all right
  5. root — of a word
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. fine — high quality
  12. last — to go on
  13. root — the cause
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. last — final
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. present — the time now
  21. root — of a plant
  22. march — music
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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