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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: root · spring · fine · rash · branch · swing · mate · staff

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. staff — employees
  3. mate — a partner
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — hasty
  10. swing — music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — a coil
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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