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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: ball · cell · branch · chest · mug · root · dip · pass

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — the cause
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mug — to rob
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chest — a box
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ball — a dance
  23. root — of a word
  24. mug — a cup

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