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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: branch · tear · board · mark · sharp · swing · root · lie

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. tear — to rip
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. swing — in golf
  9. board — to get on
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — from crying
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — to recline
  15. swing — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. sharp — clever
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — an untruth

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