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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
468
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 · calf · branch · mate · game · press · march · root

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mate — a friend
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — a publisher
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. press — newspapers
  22. march — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. root — 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