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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.

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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kid — child
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. board — a committee
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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