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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — to come down
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — ground
  7. present — there
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — a country
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — a division
  17. present — the time now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fine — high quality
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — all right
  23. stem — to come from
  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