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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — to confront
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — a trail
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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