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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — a group
  3. branch — a division
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fine — all right
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — to come from
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. toast — bread
  24. branch — of a tree

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