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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 120 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: root · kick · lie · degree · face · current · net · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. root — the cause
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — after costs
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. current — happening now
  22. degree — from a university
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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