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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — an amount
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — finally
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. last — final
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. last — to go on
  24. stem — to come from

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