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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. face — to confront
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — an aim
  7. rest — a break
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. face — part of the head
  13. object — a thing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to point toward
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — to protest
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — to come from
  24. plane — in geometry

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