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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. branch — a division
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stand — to bear

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