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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — of your body
  5. branch — a division
  6. stand — to bear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chest — a box
  21. ground — a position
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — the earth

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