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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: ground · branch · cold · fine · mouse · root · safe · spring

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — a coil
  3. root — of a word
  4. ground — a position
  5. spring — of water
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fine — high quality
  20. branch — a division
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fine — all right
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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