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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — a contest
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. branch — a division
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — an aim
  18. race — humankind
  19. hand — help
  20. object — a thing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fall — to drop

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