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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
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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: roll · branch · mark · face · clip · hide · root · safe

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — of a plant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a trace
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — part of the head
  17. root — of a word
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. root — the cause

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