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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — a price
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  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