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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — a measure
  11. land — a country
  12. race — humankind
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. land — to come down
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — the arms race
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stem — to come from

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