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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · content · key · date · root · tube · row · branch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. root — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — the amount
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. date — the fruit
  11. root — of a word
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. key — in music
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — a division
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. row — a line

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