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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. object — a thing
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — an aim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. present — a gift
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. spell — letters
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — a short time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — magic
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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