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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chest — a box
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — a division
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bore — to tire
  24. prune — to trim

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