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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to confront
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — to come from
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — part of the head

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