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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: plane · pitcher · spring · wave · straw · bat · branch · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. root — the cause
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. root — of a plant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — a division
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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