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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fork — in a road
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. branch — a division
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kick — in football
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. kick — a thrill

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