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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: press · roll · tear · root · toast · game · branch · charge

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — the cause
  4. roll — a list
  5. tear — from crying
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. branch — a division
  10. press — a publisher
  11. game — wild animals
  12. toast — bread
  13. root — of a plant
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tear — from crying
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — a cake
  19. press — newspapers
  20. game — a match
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — a price
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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