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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · saw · root · patient · fan · kid · branch · mark

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — child
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. key — the most important part
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — the cause
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. root — of a word

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