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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — for catching
  7. board — to get on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — to come from
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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