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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — a thing
  9. race — humankind
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — a phone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. object — an aim
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — a division
  23. object — to protest
  24. rush — to hurry

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