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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — of water
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. current — happening now
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — a division
  23. ball — a great time
  24. current — electric

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