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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: rash · suit · hand · bear · branch · swing · bark · root

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — of a word
  8. rash — hasty
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — clothes
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — to shout
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — a series
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hand — in cards

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