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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — in sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. cold — an illness
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — to protest
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — a thing
  24. branch — of a bank

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