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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: chip · rock · rash · face · branch · clip · root · can

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. root — the cause
  2. rock — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. can — to be able to
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. root — of a word
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — a stone
  15. clip — to cut
  16. branch — a division
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. face — to confront
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rash — hasty
  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