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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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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: branch · perch · plane · chest · race · present · patient · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. root — of a plant
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. race — humankind
  8. present — there
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a word
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — the cause
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — the arms race

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