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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — a box
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chest — of your body

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