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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rest — a break
  10. key — in music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lie — to recline
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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