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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fine — all right
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — to recline

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