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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rule — government
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spring — of water
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a ring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. band — a music group
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — steady
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stem — to come from
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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