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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chest — of your body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rest — a break
  20. band — a ring
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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