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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rest — a break

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