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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stem — to come from
  3. branch — a division
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — a path
  10. object — a thing
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — a song
  17. object — an aim
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. roll — a cake
  21. object — to protest
  22. season — in sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. trunk — of a tree

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