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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — a division
  3. face — to confront
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to click
  12. object — a thing
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — a price
  21. object — to protest
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — the animal

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