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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — an aim
  3. present — the time now
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. present — there
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — a division
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. present — a gift
  20. object — a thing
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — to go away

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