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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 · root · hide · fine · game · kid · tube · row

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — all right
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. tube — a container
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — to paddle
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. root — of a word
  15. game — a match
  16. kid — child
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — wild animals
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tube — the underground
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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