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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. branch — a division
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — for sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — on your feet

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