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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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