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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a face
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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