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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: bear · lie · root · branch · fall · degree · mouse · hand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. root — the cause
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hand — help
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — a division
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a plant

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