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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. object — to protest
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — a division
  19. object — a thing
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chest — a box
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bank — of a river

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