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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. firm — decided
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — a division
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. firm — steady
  23. kick — in football
  24. stand — for spectators

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