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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — to shout
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stem — to come from
  23. net — in sport
  24. branch — a division

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