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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
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: branch · can · fall · root · bass · swing · tear · plane

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fall — the season
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — to play on
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — in golf
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — music

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