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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — a division
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. content — happy
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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