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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. branch — a division
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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