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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: lash · pop · present · branch · root · tear · plane · wound

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — a gift
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — there
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wound — an injury
  8. root — the cause
  9. tear — to rip
  10. plane — a tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. present — the time now
  13. pop — music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. branch — a division
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tear — from crying

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