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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — to come from
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. branch — a division
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. file — a tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rest — a break
  19. file — a line of people
  20. craft — boats
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stem — a stem cell

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