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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.

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: stem · hide · branch · court · root · fall · bore · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bore — to tire
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a word
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — low music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. court — for sport
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. root — of a plant
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — of a king
  23. root — the cause
  24. fall — to drop

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