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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: net · lean · branch · squash · board · root · lash · fork

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — the cause
  4. net — in sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — for catching
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a committee
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lean — to bend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. squash — the vegetable

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