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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — a division
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — 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