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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — for a lock
  11. present — the time now
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — in music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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