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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. court — for sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — the time now
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — of a king
  13. pop — to visit
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — there
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. present — a gift
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. court — of law

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