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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — in music
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. nail — for a hammer

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