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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. field — a subject
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. field — farmland
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — hurry

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