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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — a face
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. track — a song
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — ground
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — a division
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. land — a country
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — newspapers
  23. land — to come down
  24. track — to keep track

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