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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — army training
  5. object — an aim
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — part of the head
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — to confront
  17. land — a country
  18. object — a thing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — ground
  23. object — to protest
  24. stem — a stem cell

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