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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stem — to come from
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — a gift
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — there
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. present — the time now
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spell — letters

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