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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — a thing
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitch — completely
  7. object — to protest
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rash — a series
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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