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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pop — music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wave — of the sea

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