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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — decided
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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