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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — letters
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cell — in biology
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. swing — in golf
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — magic

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