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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — happening now
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — for catching
  17. branch — a division
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. perch — the fish
  21. net — in sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — of water
  24. stand — for spectators

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