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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. snap — to click
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chest — a box
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wake — before a funeral

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