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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. kick — in football
  5. season — in sport
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. toast — bread
  13. stem — to come from
  14. season — of the year
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chair — a leader
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lash — to lash out

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