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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — to shout
  4. net — in sport
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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