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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — a division
  3. rule — government
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — a container
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. squash — to crush
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. craft — a skill

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