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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a hole
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — the most important part
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — to rip
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — in a race
  21. key — for a lock
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — of a plant

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