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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chest — a box
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ground — the earth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — all right
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fine — a penalty

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