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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. last — final
  5. rash — a series
  6. last — finally
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — in sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. last — to go on
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. foot — a measure

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