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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
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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: last · branch · fall · bulb · root · foot · lean · row

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. root — of a word
  4. last — to go on
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. root — the cause
  10. lean — to bend
  11. row — to paddle
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. row — a line
  15. root — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — finally
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bulb — of a plant

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