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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. last — to go on
  13. race — a contest
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — humankind
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. bark — to shout

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