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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.

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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: fork · branch · kick · fine · root · stem · straw · tube

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — of a word
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — the underground
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kick — a thrill

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