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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. branch — a division
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — in a road
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — animal skin
  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