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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ground — the earth
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — crushed
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ground — a position
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. band — a ring

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