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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. net — in sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — a division
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. net — after costs

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