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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. deal — to handle
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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