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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — a division
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. press — a publisher
  6. craft — boats
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — in cards
  23. press — to push
  24. perch — for a bird

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