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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — to come from
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pop — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — soda

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