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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: club · mark · root · wake · branch · kick · bound · rash

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — a group
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bound — certain
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rash — a series
  17. branch — a division
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rash — on the skin

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