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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — to rob
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a face
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — for a lock
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — of a plant
  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