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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.

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: face · craft · chip · roll · rock · root · march · branch

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — to eat
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. roll — a list
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — the month
  23. face — part of the head
  24. march — music

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