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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.

Make a worksheet

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: snap · lie · branch · root · object · date · hand · dip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hand — in cards
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — the cause
  12. date — the fruit
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — a division
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. object — an aim
  24. date — on the calendar

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