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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — a law
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a hat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — of ice
  23. face — part of the head
  24. racket — a loud noise

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