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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bark — to shout
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — a division
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — of a plant

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