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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. branch — a division
  8. foot — a measure
  9. club — for dancing
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — for golf
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — a stick
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a tree

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