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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
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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: deal · hand · branch · foot · root · lash · game · face

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — to handle
  11. game — wild animals
  12. hand — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. game — a kind of play

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