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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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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: kid · rule · season · staff · root · branch · lie · degree

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. degree — temperature
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kid — child
  11. season — of the year
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. degree — an amount
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — a division
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. branch — of a bank

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