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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — to recline
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — a hat
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — army training
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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