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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wake — a trail
  4. branch — a division
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pound — a weight
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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