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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — a division
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — a city
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — to tire
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. present — the time now
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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