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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rock — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mate — a friend

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