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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — in football
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — a practice
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pit — in a race
  10. drill — the tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — a division
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. toast — bread
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — 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