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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — to come from
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wake — before a funeral

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