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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stem — to come from
  6. object — an aim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — a line
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. tear — from crying

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