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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: root · can · mate · racket · branch · pass · face · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — army training
  6. root — of a word
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. face — part of the head
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — to spend time

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