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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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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: cue · drill · root · foot · branch · clip · chip · face

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cue — for pool
  3. root — of a word
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. face — to confront
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. clip — a video
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. clip — for paper
  20. face — to point toward
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — to eat
  24. root — of a plant

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