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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — to come from
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — size or range
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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