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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of law
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — of water
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — a gift
  13. branch — a division
  14. court — of a king
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — happening now
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. deal — to handle
  22. present — there
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — electric

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