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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 120 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: lie · wave · root · wound · staff · wake · stem · branch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. root — of a word
  11. branch — a division
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — the cause
  24. stem — to come from

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