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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.

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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: tube · swing · branch · hide · cabinet · root · mouse · fall

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — a division
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — in golf
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fall — the season

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