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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — ground
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. land — to come down
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. land — a country
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bulb — for light

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