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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rash — a series
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — hasty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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