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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 120 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: fall · branch · mine · root · cap · fine · staff · rest

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rest — a break
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fall — the season
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. root — of a word
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — all right

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