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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 116 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: branch · rule · fall · saw · root · firm · season · ground

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — government
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. fall — the season
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ground — a position
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ground — the earth
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — the cause
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a word
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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