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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: vault · mate · rule · chest · nail · march · branch · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rule — a law
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. root — the cause
  5. branch — a division
  6. rule — government
  7. chest — a box
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mate — a partner
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chest — of your body
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — a friend

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