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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mug — a face
  4. spell — magic
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ground — a position
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. branch — a division
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — to trim
  15. toast — bread
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — of a plant

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