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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 124 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. branch — a division
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — to come from
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rash — a series
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — hasty

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