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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
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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 · lie · last · row · temple · bark · date · root

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — the cause
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a word
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — finally
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. bark — to shout
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. temple — side of the head

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